The attempt of SECON Supplies, a Visakhpatnam-based firm that was making cruisers and floating jettis to Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), to assemble the newly made cruiser parts on the Andhra Pradesh side of Nagarjunasagar created mild tension as the Forest Department objected to the SECON using its land for the purpose.

Since it was not possible to carry the boat on one container, the officials said that the SECON had brought the material on three goods vehicles from Visakhapatnam to AP side to hand it over to the TSTDC after assembling the parts.

Planning to assemble the parts at Anupu at Vijapuri South Colony, the workers of SECON unloaded the parts of the boat on the banks of Nagarjunasagar from where that could travel in water to Telangana boating point. The SECON workers choose the place after reportedly consulting some tourism officials in TSTDC since that avoids a 15-KM tough journey to these vehicles and also there was sufficient space at Mekala Gondi area to comfortably assemble the boat.

As the Forest Department officials from Andhra Pradesh objected to SECON, some Telangana officials spoke to their counterparts but their attempts to convince Andhra officers proved futile. After knowing about the incident, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) activists staged a dharna on the bridge that was constructed downstream Nagarajunasagar reservoir to connect both the States obstructing vehicle flow in protest against behaviour of the AP officials.

The Telangana police removed the TRS activists from the place to clear the traffic.

The TRS activists alleged that AP would suffer no loss if the boat was assembled on its land, “but they have objected to this to create problems to Telangana”.

Subsequently, TSTDC officials asked SECON to shift the parts of boat to Telangana side

with immediate effect. An officer of the TSTDC, on condition of anonymity, said that it was the responsibility of SECON to hand over the assembled boat to them. “We had nothing to do with the issue”, he said.